Combination ashtray and lighted cigarette support



April 28, 1959 I N. R. HASTINGS 2,383,992

COMBINATION ASHTRAY AND LIGHTED CIGARETTE SUPPORT Filed June 2., 1955NORMAN R. HASTINGS ATTORNEY INVENTOR Y I COMBINATION ASHTRAY AND LIGHTEDCIGARETTE SUPPORT 1.,

The present invention relates to smokers appliances .gUn ted 9? and moreparticularly-to an extinguisher and a'support for lighted cigarettesadapted for use in an ashtray.

Heretofore'various types, of aPPlianceshave been used for receivingashes from cigarettes and cigars and for supporting lighted cigarettesand cigars when the smoker wished to temporarily interrupt smoking. Withmany ashtrays the burning cigarette could fall on the floor or the ashescould drop on the floor or upon the object supporting the ashtray. Also,ambient air currents frequently increased the rate of combustion whilethe cigarette layin an ashtray with the'production of objectionablesmoke in the room without corresponding pleasure to anyone.

cigarette supports had objectionable projections extending beyond thebase and general outline of the ashtray making it possible for suchprojections to mar furniture when the ashtray was moved or handled in acareless manner. Further; when a personwouldmove hisbody or arms, hisbody or clothing would frequently catch on projections causing upsettingof the ashtrays with the ashes falling on clothing, furniture or thefloor with the resultant annoyance, as well as expense of cleaning.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide asmokers appliance which overcomes the problems of the prior artstructures.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for positivelysupporting a smoking element such as a cigarette or cigar and forextinguishing the lighted smoking element when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the smokers appliance showing an open topreceptacle base, a supporting column and upper framework for supportingand controlling the rate of combustion of smoking elements;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the smokers appliance;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showingthe air controlling shutter ring in position for a high rate ofcombustion of lighted cigarettes supported on the appliance; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 showing the air controllingshutter ring in position to reduce the supply of air to burningcigarettes to a minimum.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the smoking appliance of thepresent invention is adapted to be used with an open top receptaclehaving a bottom 10 and an upstanding peripheral side wall 11 and anupwardly extending central hub portion 12 providing a recess 13therebelow for receiving a head 14 of a bolt 15 or the like whichprojects upwardly and is surrounded by a support 2,883,992 Patented Apr.28,

means in the form of a tubularcolumn 16 which abuts the central raisedhub portion 12. Supported at the upper end of the tubular column 16 isashallow cylindrically shaped frame-like structure including a bottomsheet ment her or plate 17, a substantially continuous side wall means18, a top sheet member 19 forming a relatively flat cylindricalframework to receive the lighted ends of cigarettes. The top is providedwith a plurality of apertures 20 near the peripheral wall countersunk at21 to provide for easy entrance of the lighted end of a cigarette intothe interior of the cylindrical framework. A plurality of similarcountersunk centrally located apertures 22 are also pro. vided in thetop 19 and tubes 23 are rigidly mounted within the interior of thecontainer between the top plate 19 and the bottom plate 17 in alignmentwith the countersunk apertures 22, the passageway within tubes 23 beingof a dimension to snugly and tightly engage a conventional 'clgarette. Aplurality of centrally located apertures 25 are provided in the bottomplate 17 in alignment with the apertures 22 and the tubes 23, but suchapertures 25 are of smaller dimension than the diameter of a cigaretteso that a cigarette is prevented from passing through apertures 25 and acigarette 26, shown in phantom in Fig. 3, will be maintained in uprightposition when its end is placed in an aperture 22 and tube 23.

Apertures 27 are provided in plate 17 near the peripheral wall inalignment with apertures 20 so that when a cigarette 28, shown inphantom lines, is placed with its end passing through aperture 20 thelower end thereof may engage plate 17 but aperture 27 is of a size toprevent the cigarette from passing therethrough, and the cigarette 28will be maintained in its upright position. The receptacle, thesupporting column and the cigarette receiving framework are maintainedin assembled relation by the bolt 15 passing therethrough anda nut 29threaded thereon to maintain the parts in fixed assembled relation.Tubes 23 keep top plate 19 spaced properly from bottom plate 17 so thatnut 29, when threaded on bolt 15, will not deform the cylindrical shapedframe-like structure.

The side wall 18 of the framework is provided with a plurality ofapertures 30 which are adapted to be aligned with similar apertures 31in a ring having a cylindrical side wall 32 and an inwardly extendingflange 33, such ring being rotatable about the peripheral portionincluding the cylindrical wall 18 of the framework so that the apertures30 and 31 may be arranged in alignment as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, toadmit air into the interior or to a position in which the apertures 30and 31 are out of alignment as shown in Fig. 5 so that air cannot passto the inside of the framework through the apertures 30 and 31.

A smoker wishing to temporarily set aside a cigarette may place thecigarette in the upper framework by passing the lighted end thereofthrough one of the apertures 20 which readily receive the lighted end ofa cigarette and such end may rest against the bottom 17 being preventedfrom passing through aperture 27 because of the small size of aperture27. Sutlicient air may pass into the burning portion of the cigarettethrough the aperture 27 or through apertures 30 and 31 to produce acontrolled ex extinguishing of the cigarette or to limit any burning ata controlled rate depending upon the adjustment or alignment ofapertures 30 and 31. When apertures 30 and 31 are completely disalignedas shown in Fig. 5, air cannot pass therethrough and intermediateadjustment may be used so that the desired rate of combustion will bemaintained to allow consumption of the cigarette to be maintained toallow the cigarette to be supplied only suf' ficient air to remainlighted for a limited time so that the smoker will not have theannoyance of having to light the cigarette again if smoking is continuedwithin a short time.

.1.1 the. event. that e smoker wishes to extinguish a ciga: rette, hemay place the same with the burning end extending through an aperture 22into the aligned tube 23 and the intimate contact of the cool tube 23With the lighted portion of the cigarette 26 will cool the burning endsufficiently so that the cigarette will be extinguished. The apertures25 and 27 permit ashes to pass therethrough and drop into the open topreceptacle forming the base and such open top receptacle may be used inthe usual manner for an ashtray and the ashes located therein will behidden from view to a great extent by the cigarette retaining frameworkthereabove and, therefore, a much neater appearance is maintained.

It will be apparent that the particular size and shape may be varied andthe materials of construction used may be selected from well-.lgnownmaterials such as plastic, metal, ceramics, glass, or variouscombinations thereof.

It will be apparent that when the apertures 3% are aligned withapertures 31 of the cylindrical side wall 21 of the ring, cigarettes maybe inserted as shown at 33 so that a large number of cigarettes can besuported with the ashes within the hollow cylindrical structure, therebyaccomodating a large number of smokers.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isillustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but onlyas indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use above an ashtray, a supPQrt, for lighted and burninggenerally tubular smokable articles comprising rela i ely hin pa e membs aving re s r ng p nings t h opening neare h r of a ize to sn y receivebut allow easy insertion of the urning end of a srnckab a t le, meansmain a ning he mem rs in par llel e t n p e s n i lly less han he leng hof the smokable article so that a portion of the smokable article willlie between said members while another portion will be disposed exteriorto the opening in which: the

satelsable is inserted and. a relati ely this alled member positionedbetween such registering openings in a manner to provide a cell for thereception of the lighted ends of smokable articles.

2. The invention according to claim 1 having means for enclosing thespace between the openings, and adjustable vent means for said. spaceenclosing means.

'lh inven i n cc rd ng to claim 1 in ic the spaced members aremaintained in spaced relation by cigarette extinguishing tubes.

In mbin tion an a h ray ha n a c nt p ing hub, a cigarette extinguishingstructure mounted on said hub comprising bottom and top walls and asubstantially continuous outer wall, a plurality of registering openingsin the bottom and top walls, and tubes adapted to extinguish cigarettesconnecting certain of said registering openings.

5.- Ih n enti n according to cl im. 4 ha ing me for ventilating saidouter wall, such means being ad: justable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UN TED A ES P TE S D-19.J.2Q Sand ia "Ha-"aura" F 1. 0 R 6 97 V n Bergen et l- 1 o 11, .952293,374 Sw ft F 12. 1884 924 .06 Le is une 902 992. 56 Ma his Ap 7, i9141.3 3.676 illins at A 5. 3, 1 20 1,5 1.35?! Hammett ne 9, 2. l,6.9l.56;Q 1dwe l o '13 .192 1.7801258 Weinberg q N 4, 19.30 2,256, 2 Sep .941..2,518,849 Aug. 15, 1950 2.65 ,422 S pt- 8, 953 23 3.72 May i956 68,5 1 Geat Bri ain "Ha-mp.- y 937 17,758 Great Brita n Ne 3. .1954

